MAVERICK: Back in the Game (TBZ)

Chapter Ten

The door flings open and Hwall stands, clapping and smiling. "Well done. Well done. You figured out my helper and you three have made it to the final scene in my Maverick game! I do say that you've earned the whole truth from me."

"It's not over yet...!" Eric cries in anguish, but lifts the bow and arrow up, directing it in the direction of the door, where Hwall is standing.

"What do you mean, truth?" Sangyeon snarls. "You've put us through hell all for thinking a twisted betrayal happened!"

Hwall smirks at them. "Yes, yes, refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing by you. Nothing's changed, Sangyeon."

Sangyeon rolls his eyes. "You forget that the three of us have deadly weapons and we could easily kill you."

"But you won't until I tell you everything!" Hwall snaps at him. His eyes glitter darkly, enjoying the control of the situation.

Sangyeon narrows his eyes.

Haknyeon flexes his fingers to one side, struggling to calm himself. He's one smartass comment away from drilling Hwall with his bare fists.

"OH!" Hwall says, "You do not ALL have weapons, dear Sangyeon." He reaches into his pocket and whips out a pencil. "Pencil Boy used his on the Horror-Loving Freak and seems to not be holding anything."

Haknyeon's fingers curl up and he takes a step toward Hwall.

Hwall chuckles and tosses the pencil to him. "Have a second one. You might need it."

Haknyeon catches the pencil, its tip freshly sharpened and ready to go.

"I had a couple made for you, about three of them to be exact. Looks like I guessed right about you needing at least one of those. It was a shame when you didn't strike down Sunwoo and I had to do the dirty work for you."

"TELL US THE TRUTH AND STOP STALLING!!" Eric whines, stomping his feet on the ground.

"They say it only takes one kill to make a person change. Before madness takes over and consumes the body whole," Hwall says. "However, in your case, I think one more kill might do the trick."

Sangyeon, Eric and Haknyeon all share a look with one another.

"You three, despite the danger and threat from your fellow "friends," survived this long into Maverick. I underestimated each of you. As did He." Hwall glances up at the ceiling as though looking at an invisible entity behind a trick mirror.

Sangyeon lifts his gun and aims at Hwall. "Stop talking nonsense or I'll blow your brains out!"

Hwall smirks, rounding the room like a predator. "He thought that all the smart ones would go first and gradually dwindle down to gullible idiots like Hyunjae and Juyeon, who'd be easy to trick into killing one another."

Sangyeon, Haknyeon and Eric follow Hwall, keeping their weapons poised and ready to strike.

"But we were mistaken. You three are smarter than we thought..." Hwall says, brushing the interior wall with his hand.

"Who is HE?" Haknyeon growls.

Hwall pauses and turns to face them. "Just mere mention of His name can bring terror and madness amongst you. If I reveal who my master is, you three smarties would be driven to pure insanity."

"TELL US!" Eric whines.

"If you insist, little maknae," Hwall sneers. He throws his arms out, gesturing back across the room to the door. In his pacing, he'd managed to reach the opposite end of the room, just past where Q lay in the pool of blood.

At the gesture, they all spin around to see another figure standing in the doorway. He's got on a long black trenchcoat on that nearly reaches his feet and they can see that he is wearing black pants and a black turtleneck shirt underneath. They all gasp, recognizing the familiar face of one of K-Pop's unique rapper soloists.

"Some call me Kwon Jiyong," the man says in a hushed gruff voice. "Though others simply refer to me as G-Dragon." In his hand he holds a small black box with a button in the center.

"There is no escape or exit. There is only one way out," Hwall and G-Dragon say in an eerie unison like a robot. "ONLY ONE of you can leave."